A short scream and a blow to the head woke me up in pain. A middle aged woman with frightened green eyes ad brown hair was standing over me with a fireplace poker.

She whacked at me again, "You murderer!"

I glared at her, setting a firm grip on the stick and pulled it away from her. She widened her eyes as I tossed it away from me.

"How dare you-"

"Lilly, stop!" Emily gasp when she came in, carrying a tray of food. She placed it on the nightstand and gently turned Lilly to her.

So this is Lilly, I thought.

"What is he doing here? He's suppose to be…well, dead!" Lilly pointed at me.

"He's Erik. Erika's father." Lilly stayed quiet until her eyes widen and she stepped back a couple of feet.

"No," She whispered.

"He was that one that came into kitchen three days ago."

"How-" She was lost for words as she kept looking back at me and Emily.

"At the opera house." Emily explained. Lilly's eyes rolled back and she fainted, falling to the floor like a fly would drop dead.

"I'll get her to her room," Emily bend down, pulling Lilly up and grunted with effort as she placed Lilly out of the room. I looked over to my left, seeing Erika pulling at her socks.

"What are you doing?" When she looked at me, as if she was caught in the act, she pulled it hard. The socks dropped on her belly and she grinned. She won.

I reached down and picked up the socks, placing it back on her foot. I kissed the bottom of the foot and squealed, trying to pull it back. She then pouted and started to cry and I stopped.

She stopped and laughed again, leaving me shaking my head.

"You sneaky drool maker."

"What…what happened?" Lilly ask groggily when she opened her eyes.

"You saw the Opera Ghost on my blood stained bed," I answered. I had placed her on the bed and opened the windows to let the air in.

"Oh my god," Lilly groaned. "This can't be true. You and the Opera- err.. Erik? Did your mother know?" I nodded with a sad smile.

"She tried to stop it from growing into something more serious. Papa was a little uncomfortable but he accepted it. As for Jean, I didn't tell him at all."

"My poor Emily," Lilly whispered. I swallowed a lump when Carolina had said the same thing to me when my ankle was broken.

"Is that why there was a bonfire outside of the opera house? Did your mother do that?"

"Yes," I said. "She tried to burned Erik's things. Erik and I were going to escape to Ireland but she stopped that too." Lilly held my hand gave me a comforting squeeze.

"Well, you are here now. She won't harm you and Erik, nor Erika."

I smiled suddenly, "You're letting Erik stay?"

Lilly flustered a bit but she nodded. I squealed and hugged her.

"Thank you, I'll go tell him." I stood up from where I sat and opened the door to my room. I heard was 'you sneaky drool maker' from Erik and a laugh from Erik when I came in.

"Lilly's letting you stay here! I'll go get my stuff and yours from the house." Before he could say anything, I was already halfway down the stairs. When I came out, two police man carried a black bag from the opera house and I knew it was Amelia's body inside.

If I hadn't known Erik I would have been frightened for my life. I spotted jean and ducked behind a lamp post and watched as he turned his back. I dodged a couple of bystanders and reached Erik's home. The house outside and inside did not look Erik's home at all. It seems the lair was more his style. It fit his dark personality rather than this plain house.

When I went in, I started at the bedroom. I took a random bag and placed his clothes and anything that belonged to him in the bag. My money purse was also in there along with the monkey music box. My hands paused when I spotted something shiny on the floor. I picked it up and brought it to the sunlight.

It was my engagement ring to Erik. He kept it in a perfect condition as well. Holding my right hand out, I placed it on my ring finger that had father's ring. It fit perfectly. I started to step out from the room when I dropped the bag, seeing Jean's enraged face.

How did he spotted me? His eyes landed on the engagement ring and his lips set into a grim line.

"Hiding out here with your new fiance is it?" Jean ask, stepping closer to me. I backed away from him. He shut the door closed and my heart drummed in a fast pace. That was my only escape, now I was trapped.

"So this is where you've been hiding. And what's that? Clothes for your fiance?" He hissed the word out heavily.

"How did you find me?"

"Easy, your hair was too recognizable. No one has long wavy black hair like you, Emily."

The kitchen, I thought. It must have some weapon to defend myself.

"And the odd thing is Amelia- you've met her- is found dead in the prima donna's room. Someone broke her neck, they said. I lost a friend in my lie and found my wife. Lucky me," he said flatly. I flung myself off the wall and ran for the kitchen.

He was quicker, grabbing my hair and pulled me back. I let out a painful cry but he slapped me.

"Shut up, you whore!" he shouted. I fell to the floor, clutching my throbbing cheek, and possibly bleeding lip. I whimpered when he got closer and brought me up by my upper arm.

"Who is he?" He shook me violently until my eyes rolled. When my mouth and eyes didn't tell, he slapped me again, out of rage, this time on my other cheek.

"You can hit me all you want but I'll never tell you, you…monster!" I shouted.

"Oh?" Jean raised an eyebrow. His eyes lowered to my dress and my breathing quickened. "There's always the other way,"

I screamed no when his hands found my dress, ripping it.

"Here you are, some soup with bread and fruits on the other plate," Lilly said. Although she was frightened of me, she warmed up quickly. I was beginning to like her too. She was kind and soft hearted which I understand why Emily became her best friend. I looked at the ticking clock. 9 at night.

"Emily is taking a long time," I said, going for the fruit plate.

"She must have took a wrong turn," Lilly said shaking her head. "The girl's never had a good sense of direction." Lilly picked up Erika to bathe her and I was left alone in peace.

Usually it doesn't take that long to get my things. The thought of Emily in trouble gnawed the back of my mind, leaving me feeling unsettled. Perhaps she didn't get lost…perhaps something got in her way.

I got up slowly, wincing a little when I stood up. My legs wobbled but regained composure and I staggered out.

"Where are you going?" Lilly asked holding a naked Erika.

"Emily's in trouble. I have to go find her." I grunted when I spotted the stairs.

"But you can't leave. You're still healing!" Lilly said, her voice turning into a squeak.

"It never stopped me before," I managed to say when my foot touched the stairs. Slowly but quickly. I reached the bottom and pulled the door open, almost breaking the hinges.

"Emily, you better be lost," I said under my breath.

I used my nails to scratch his face and Jean let out a cry, letting me go. He had ripped the front part of my dress, exposing my bra. My lips were caked in dry blood and both my cheeks had Jean's handprints. I scrambled to get up and ran for the door. My little victory was over when I felt Jean's hands pulling me back.

"No!" I screamed, kicking my legs. My heel dug into the floor to stop him but he was stronger. He dropped me on the floor; I got up but he punched where my wound was and I fell back, feeling dazed and my vision blurred with white lights swirling around.

When his hands slid under my dress, I thrashed around. His knees pinned my legs down, leaving me helpless. I used my hands to claw but they were both clamped down by his other hand.

"No," I whispered, "Please."

"I wouldn't have to do this if you didn't ran away." His fingers were just outside the barrier of my under garments and the inside of me shook as I tried one last attempt to move.

His hands stopped and was pulled out. I then felt his weight and hold were lifted off me and I looked to see his shocked face, pulled back and punched by Erik. Never before had I seen Erik's face. An enraged animal ready to kill the prey.

"Hm, I've waiting to kill you ever since. Oh wait, I think now's the right time." Erik venom words left Jean flinching as he doubled over from a blow to the stomach.

"Where did he hit you?" Erik ask me. I pointed to my mouth. He punched Jean's mouth.

"Where else?" I pointed at my cheeks. He didn't slap Jean, he punched him. Jean look like he was going to faint.

"And where else" Erik ask when I pointed at my temple, he made a growl that left me shaking. He gave jean one final blow to the temple. Jean flew back against the wall, unconscious.

Erik looked back at me, breathing heavily. His eyes dropped down to my bare chest and his knuckles cracked as he clenched it into a fist.

"Did he?" Erik ask, not wanting to finish.

"Close, but you came." I got up and ran into Erik's arms, crying.

"If you had came late-" Erik shushed me and rock me side to side.

"It's over now, love," Erik touched my chin, bringing my face up. He turned my head left and right, looking at the slap, the bleeding lip and the oozing temple.

"That bastard-"

"It's over now, Erik," I repeated. "I want to go home." I placed Erik's hand into mine. My eyes landed on his wound, and I gasp. The blood was seeping through his shirt.

"We've gotta get you home! Oh wait, I forgot the bag." I detached myself from Erik's arms and took the bag with me.

AN: Ah, school open house -_- but that's fine IM A SENIOR NOW MUAHAHAHAHAHHA BOW DOWN- ahem well of course if no one had figured it out but Jean is a little crazy in the head

RxR! 3